Substrate Chamber Exhaust Layout for High-Rate Film Deposition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate processing apparatuses face challenges in maintaining high film-forming rates while minimizing the formation of organic films on inner container walls, leading to reduced throughput due to frequent cleaning needs.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus incorporates a stage with a ring cover and exhaust paths of varying conductances to manage gas flows, ensuring efficient exhaustion of purge and processing gases, thereby reducing film-forming gas concentration in non-processing areas and minimizing organic film deposition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If purge gas is supplied into the lower space to prevent film deposition on inner walls, then film deposition on inner walls is suppressed, but film-forming rate on substrates is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust system is segmented into multiple independent paths: a first exhaust path for the processing space and a second exhaust path for the lower space. This segmentation allows separate control of gas flow in each region, enabling purge gas to be supplied to the lower space without significantly affecting the processing space where film formation occurs, thus resolving the contradiction between preventing wall deposition and maintaining film-forming rate
Solution Approach 2:
The first exhaust path acts as an intermediary barrier between the lower space and the processing space. By providing a dedicated exhaust path with lower conductance for the processing space, the system mediates the gas flow so that purge gas supplied to the lower space is efficiently removed without大量 diffusing into the processing space, thereby preventing wall deposition while maintaining film-forming rate
2Loss of time
If purge gas flow rate is increased to suppress film deposition on inner walls, then cleaning frequency is reduced, but film-forming gas concentration in processing space is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust system is divided into separate paths for the processing space and lower space, allowing independent control of gas flow rates. The second exhaust path can be optimized to handle higher purge gas flow rates without affecting the gas concentration in the processing space, enabling reduced cleaning frequency while maintaining film-forming rate
Solution Approach 2:
The conductance of the first exhaust path is specifically designed to be lower than that of the processing space, creating a parameter difference that controls gas flow distribution. This parameter optimization allows the system to accommodate higher purge gas flow rates in the lower space while maintaining appropriate film-forming gas concentration in the processing space
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration maintains high film-forming rates by suppressing organic film formation on inner walls, reducing cleaning frequency, and enhancing overall processing throughput.
Implementation Method 1
a first exhaust path provided between a processing space above the stage and the exhaust space and having a smaller conductance than the processing space; and a second exhaust path provided between a lower space below the stage and the exhaust space and having a smaller conductance than the processing space
Implementation Method 2
forms an organic film of a polymer on the substrate by a polymerization reaction between the two types of monomers
Implementation Method 3
forming an organic film of a polymer on a substrate by a vacuum deposition polymerization reaction
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate processing apparatus includes: a processing container; a stage provided in an interior of the processing container to place a substrate on the stage; an exhaust space arranged around the stage along an inner wall of the processing container; a first exhaust path provided between a processing space above the stage and the exhaust space and having a smaller conductance than the processing space; and a second exhaust path provided between a lower space below the stage and the exhaust space and having a smaller conductance than the processing space. A processing gas supplied into the processing space is exhausted via the first exhaust path, a purge gas supplied into the lower space is exhausted via the second exhaust path, and the second exhaust path is connected to the first exhaust path or to a space that is closer to the exhaust space than the first exhaust path.